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Radioactive contamination, also called radiological pollution, is the deposition of, or presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids, or gases (including the human body), where their presence is unintended or undesirable (from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) definition). [ 3 ]
The Rocky Flats Plant, a former United States nuclear weapons production facility located about 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Denver, caused radioactive (primarily plutonium, americium, and uranium) contamination within and outside its boundaries. [ 1 ] The contamination primarily resulted from two major plutonium fires in 1957 and 1969 ...
A nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility." Examples include lethal effects to individuals, large radioactivity release to the environment, or a reactor core melt. [6]
Nuclear power has at least three waste streams that may impact the environment: [8] Spent nuclear fuel at the reactor site (including fission products and plutonium waste) Tailings and waste rock at uranium mining mills. Releases of ill-defined quantities of radioactive materials during accidents.
Environmental radioactivity is part of the overall background radiation and is produced by radioactive materials in the human environment. While some radioisotopes, such as strontium-90 ( 90 Sr) and technetium-99 ( 99 Tc), are only found on Earth as a result of human activity, and some, like potassium-40 ( 40 K), are only present due to natural ...
e. Since the mid-20th century, plutonium in the environment has been primarily produced by human activity. The first plants to produce plutonium for use in Cold War atomic bombs were the Hanford nuclear site, in Washington, and Mayak nuclear plant, in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. Over a period of four decades, [1] "both released more than 200 ...
Pollution. Bioremediation of radioactive waste or bioremediation of radionuclides is an application of bioremediation based on the use of biological agents bacteria, plants and fungi (natural or genetically modified) to catalyze chemical reactions that allow the decontamination of sites affected by radionuclides. [1]
At around 5:30 am on July 16, 1979, a previously identified crack opened into a 20-foot-breach (6.1 m) in the south cell of United Nuclear Corporation's Church Rock temporary uranium mill tailings disposal pond, and 1,100 short tons (1,000 t) of solid radioactive mill waste and about 93 million US gallons (350,000 m 3) of acidic, radioactive tailings solution flowed into Pipeline Arroyo, a ...